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S10.E01: The Conjugal Conjecture

TheOtherOne

By TheOtherOne
in The Big Bang Theory [V]

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wknt3

wknt3

53 minutes ago, Chaos Theory said:

Now that I've been thinking about it Penny and Leonards wedding should have actually been an hour episode.  I liked the brother. He had that awe shucks thing you could see coming from the Midwest.  A guy who just happened to fall into making meth which is notoriously easy to make.  I actually found it funny that both Penny and her brother sold drugs for a living and would have loved a few more jokes on that. 

I can't agree more about needing an hour or less about Penny's brother. I have no problem buying him as a midwesterner, but he's just not the brother we've heard about and the whole "awe shucks thing" doesn't fit into the rest of the family. And yes it would have been nice to see them try to some more jokes about what he did for a living. More sibling rivalry or use it to bring in the main cast. For example discussing brain chemistry with Amy or using Howard's tools to build equipment (leading to more panic about the government).

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Bobbin

Bobbin

Keith Carradine may not have had time to get back into character as Wyatt, since he is working fulltime as U.S. Pres. Conrad Dalton on "Madam Secretary." Katey Sagal may have been left clueless as to how to play her role, so she went for middle-of-the-road, a wrong choice for this series.

Btw, Wyatt's "slugger" reference is because he wanted and expected a boy and had a hard time accepting that Penny was a girl and not his "little slugger."

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wknt3

wknt3

4 hours ago, holly4755 said:

Had a relative where the father of the bride (no license) stole the bride's car to buy liquor the morning of the wedding and got into  and accident and she had to get there to claim to have been in the accident or he would have been in jail and then catch a taxi to get to her own wedding.

Your relative really should have hired better writers. Surely they could have come up with something more realistic and less sitcommy cliched?

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BooksRule

BooksRule

I agree that Sheldon's remarks about his mother were crude and unnecessary.  However, I wonder if he would have even thought about saying that sort of thing if he hadn't once caught his mother 'fornicating like a demonic weasel'?  (Not that it excuses his behavior, mind you.)

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LoneHaranguer

LoneHaranguer

5 hours ago, SmithW6079 said:

I hate when shows do weddings but one of the friends becomes an Internet minister so they don't have to pay for another actor to do the marrying. 

They were able to pull it off pretty well the first time, with each friend putting his own spin on the task. There was too much negativity in the episode putting a damper on the humor. This isn't the first time they've made that mistake.

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photo fox

photo fox

I live in the middle of rural Midwestern meth country, and I think Breaking Bad may have given people the wrong idea.  Most people I know who have gotten caught up in meth - and there are sadly many - aren't making it for other people.  They aren't criminal masterminds.  They're simple, often gullible people who get in over their heads.  So while I didn't care for the actor, I had no problem with the overall vibe of the character.

My one issue was that I found him too healthy-looking for a former meth addict.  A friend of mine from high school was busted for meth and did some time, and while she's now (thank God) a few years clean and sober, it did irreparable damage to her appearance.  It's not as simple as getting new teeth.  It's a sitcom, so I don't expect realism, but they couldn't have gotten a shinier, more wholesome-looking actor if they tried!

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abstractstuff

abstractstuff

The only impression I got from "white trash" is that Penny's brother is a runner for a meth lab, and is the power bottom  who runs to drug store after drug store trying to score Sudafed for Daddy at home.  They were beyond off with trying to expose her family as being trash. In his world that may be "trash" but television in general doesn't even attempt to be realistic in how they portray characters. If THAT was white trash to viewers, then, what a charmed life you must live. 

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Gummo

Gummo

Well, I'm totally out of step here, I loved it, and laughed harder than I have at a new episode in many seasons.

I thought it was really funny that it turns out that Penny is the SMART child of the two.  The "new teeth" line was really funny. The whole idea that her airhead brother was a drug user/dealer, while dark, was really amusing too.

Wyatt desperately trying to put a happy face on everything and turning to beer when that didn't work? Seemed perfectly in character to me. Ditto he and Penny bonding over their bad habits.

Sheldon claims to be an enlightened man who's left his religious upbringing behind, but oh boy, does it come out with a vengeance when his mother's sexuality is concerned! He's had her to himself for a long time (or so he thinks); the idea of sharing her terrifies him. But yes, the writers did cross the line from funny to just nasty with Sheldon's dialogue.

I was glad that the show finally acknowledged what the fans have been saying since Penny & Leonard's engagement - that their ongoing "threesome" with Sheldon just gets stranger & more unbelievable -- so I was very happy when Bernadette ended the ceremony with something like "and the other weird husband that comes with the apartment." Also, after their very pretty vows, when she said, "anybody got anything snarky to say about that? No? Good!"  (These quotes are from memory.)

Yeah, they could have put off the Howard storyline until next episode. And made this one longer. But it was a good start to what is hopefully the final season.

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vibeology

vibeology

On ‎9‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 11:41 PM, ExplainItAgain said:

Did not enjoy Penny's brother and wasn't too impressed with her mother either. Agree with some of you: that wedding set was TRAGIC. Season premiere, a wedding, for one of the most popular shows on TV and it doesn't even look 20% realistic?

I know different networks, production companies and shows have different priorities but when I compare that cheap ass set to what Modern Family does for its season premieres, it's actually laughable how lazy this looked. I'm not saying they had to travel somewhere, but if you can't get a realistic "outdoor" set to work, set it inside! The show is more than capable of designing nice sets, but since this was clearly a one and done set never to be used again, they went the cheap and fast way. I'm not big into Penny and Leonard's relationship, but seeing as it's the central core of the show, cheap and fast for the moment the audience actually gets to see Penny in a wedding dress and Leonard and Penny exchanging vows sucks, hard.

23 hours ago, Lovecat said:

 

I wasn't thrilled when I heard the casting for Penny's meth-head brother (they should have just said fuck it all and gotten Aaron Paul), and I don't think McBrayer was really right for the role, but I have to admit that "Thank you for my new teeth!" followed by a gigantic grin to show off those enormous white choppers, absolutely slayed me. 

I actually found myself squinting and wondering if it was the same actor.  Sometimes I am bad with faces ;)

Yes! That would have been a fun joke for the audience and I do think he would have looked the part. I also think he's got my comedy skills than people realize. Obviously voiceover work for BoJack Horseman isn't exactly the same, but I think it would have worked better. I don't think I once stopped thinking of McBrayer as Kenneth because so much of the "golly gee" stuff was the same.

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Traveller519

Traveller519

I enjoyed Katey Sagal's take on Penny's mother. She reminded me a lot of my girlfriend's mother. Would be totatlly comfortable at home in her usual surroundings, but meeting people from the "big city" who she's heard can be judgey put her on edge. Save her son's jail time, her family wouldn't likely be considered white trash, but she's depressingly worried that's how they'll be perceived. It was just her motherly instincts going up.

Now, as for Jack McBrayer. I think he showed that his comic beats aren't three camera sitcom style at all. That's not a bad thing, he is very sketch focused and gets more work out of dialogue than punch lines. Also, his Appalachia accent didn't really fit in with the Midwest theme of the rest of her family. Someone with the show must have thought he would be a great cameo, and they drove a truck of money to his door.

I'm way more interested in the Nav system storyline though.

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DrSpaceman73

DrSpaceman73

(edited)

Jack Mcbrayer as Penny's brother seemed too clichéd and easy.  Its the same role he plays in every single thing he is on.  I liked someone else's suggestion on here before that David Spade would have been better, even though he is older and its a bit of s stretch. Or Aaron Paul would have been great too. 

Leonard's mom, while she can be funny, really has been shown to be a selfish, petty woman these last few episodes.  She has no problem criticizing Leonard's dad to anyone in demoralizing and emasculating ways, and they are divorced, but he finds someone else to be with and she whines and wants to leave.  Its so petty.  Same thing with not being invited to the wedding.  She treats Leonard pretty poorly and then gets mad when he excludes her from his wedding. 

Edited by DrSpaceman73
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Homily

Homily

22 hours ago, Traveller519 said:

I'm way more interested in the Nav system storyline though.

Agreed.  The "meet the parents" story is over now and I'd be surprised to see any of them again any time soon.  The Nav system storyline has been building since last season so I'm interested to see where they go with it.

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LoneHaranguer

LoneHaranguer

(edited)
4 hours ago, DrSpaceman73 said:

She has no problem criticizing Leonard's dad to anyone in demoralizing and emasculating ways, and they are divorced, but he finds someone else to be with and she whines and wants to leave.

I liked the way she was convinced to stay.

Edited by LoneHaranguer
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holly4755

holly4755

On 9/20/2016 at 4:46 PM, wknt3 said:

Your relative really should have hired better writers. Surely they could have come up with something more realistic and less sitcommy cliched?

trust me, comedies love funny drunks not mean sonofabitches like this one, he topped it off by dying the next day   so no honeymoon for this couple.  at least that was the last thing he did to hurt them. 

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kimbrchick

kimbrchick

I was surprised by Penny's brother as well. I expected a tweaker in torn jeans and long hair or something. I think now though that it makes sense because Penny and her family would want him to look presentable.

I'm tired of Bernadette's yelling at people shtick.

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Sulador

Sulador

On 9/20/2016 at 2:13 PM, SmithW6079 said:

The sex jokes and references to coitus and genitalia Sheldon makes have to stop. They're just gross when he says them.

Agreed. And, and, the preferred pronunciation of "coitus" is CO-ih-tus, as I learned it back in biology class and as the OED lists it. You'd think someone as allegedly smart as Dr. Cooper would be aware of that. Though COY-tus seems to be sneaking in, thanks to him...

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Runningwild

Runningwild

I agree that meth traffickers don't have to look hideous (especially those with new teeth), but they usually do look a little less healthy than Kenny. An older actor would have been a better choice. However, I thought Kenny was very funny. 

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CherryAmes

CherryAmes

13 hours ago, Sulador said:

Though COY-tus seems to be sneaking in, thanks to him...

That pronunciation predates Sheldon Cooper!  It's the only way I've ever heard it said.  Admittedly it's not a word that comes up in conversation much though!!!

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Snow Apple

Snow Apple

I actually liked Penny's brother since that's not what you're expecting. I don't want to see some loser punk. Maybe it helps that I've never seen the actor in any other roles before.

Did anyone else think the camera work during the wedding was weird? They kept showing Penny's back and I kept wondering if most of the scene was done by a body double.

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wknt3

wknt3

On 9/23/2016 at 9:14 PM, Sulador said:

Agreed. And, and, the preferred pronunciation of "coitus" is CO-ih-tus, as I learned it back in biology class and as the OED lists it. You'd think someone as allegedly smart as Dr. Cooper would be aware of that. Though COY-tus seems to be sneaking in, thanks to him...

Sheldon is a native Texan. Even the genius ones talk funny.

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Ottis

Ottis

(edited)
Quote

Katey Sagal may have been left clueless as to how to play her role, so she went for middle-of-the-road, a wrong choice for this series.

I couldn't figure out what they were going for with Penny's family. They all seemed nice enough and generally bland. And yet the brother had been in prison for meth, something the mom and dad seemed fairly congenial about. Katy's mom had no bite at all, which seemed like a waste. She didn't need to be nasty like Leonard's mom. She could have been more Brooke Shields on The Middle. And the dad was just a blank canvas. I don't watch BBT all the time - are we supposed to believe that Penny came from a boring family? Because if that was "white trash," then apparently most everyone I know is white trash. No family is perfect. That one was barely there.

Edited by Ottis
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ari333

ari333

I agree that David Spade would have made a good brother even if he's a little old. I also thought of Chris Elliott (sp?); and he's a little old too, but he does a good "weird brother" character (Everybody Loves Raymond....back in the day)

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CherryAmes

CherryAmes

I know I'm late to chime in but I only saw this episode for the first time tonight.  I've got to say I thought it was pretty funny.  It may not have been the strongest episode of the series but it was a good one.  I particularly liked Penny's parents and especially her mother and her concern over how their family would be perceived.  I completely bought that she'd be feeling very insecure considering she was about to meet a bunch of academics with multiple degrees and comparatively big salaries!  It was a good contrast that despite Penny's family's problems they are a family who love each other and support each other as opposed to poor Leonard and his family.

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BlossomCulp

BlossomCulp

Finally saw this episode and did I miss a reference to Penny's sister?  I know we've discussed before whether Wyatt and Susan actually have any grandchildren as there have been mentions in earlier episodes that definitely make it clear there that Penny has at least one nephew but other episodes make it seem like Wyatt is still waiting for a grandchild.  Anyway did they say in this episode if the writers still think Penny even has a sister?

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